


You Know You're Alone - So Why Don't You Run?

by DJ_Polish



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Tokyo, Alternate Universe - Yakuza, Alternate Universe - no superpowers, Anime-Typical Childhood Trauma, Anime-Typical Flashbacks, Arranged engagement, Hostility Between Sasuke and Itachi, Kenjutsu, M/M, Organized Crime, Possible Final Showdown Between Sasuke and Itachi, Sibling Rivalry, Sparring, Taijutsu, Uchiha Clan-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-05-31 08:28:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15115619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DJ_Polish/pseuds/DJ_Polish
Summary: "It was that segment of motion as Sasuke stepped into his car. It was the very same sight, even if almost 12 years had passed. His driver – now a young goon in black suit, wearing perfectly round sunglasses – opened the door for him, the luxury sedan flashed a shiny Escalade logo on its side, Sasuke stepped into the leather-covered space at the back, bowed his head a bit as he got in and disappeared inside.This was the moment when Naruto recognized the guy who had been so familiar when he saw him by the side of Iwasaki Naho. He didn't change much, neither the type of car he got in, nor the goon who guarded him. Naruto still didn't remember his name, but surely he knew where to place him – he was a clan guy. Even when they were just kids then, he was a clan son. From that type of clans, you know. Old family. Arrogant, unbearable and perhaps unbeatable."A 21st century yakuza AU based mostly and loosely on the "Itachi Pursuit Mission arc". If the idea of Naruto or other "good guys" working for the organized crime, or the idea of a very confrontational relation between Itachi and Sasuke makes you feel uncomfortable, then this fic is not for you. Mature for later chapters.





	1. The Guy Who Protects You From Being Kidnapped

_Iwasaki Estate – Private Property - 20 km from Tokyo Center_

It was the most proper squeal that could be produced by a Japanese teen schoolgirl; high, sharp and frustrated. It was immediately followed by a whopping sound; the white ball hit the netting, then landed on the ground, rolling along the gentle slope.

A gloved hand gripped again the handle, then raised the bat to take the position of preparing for the next pitch. A desperate and devoted swing, and she missed again: the rapidly incoming ball almost hit her head while the bat smacked the air. A squeal again, this time maybe even higher than before.

„Yappariiiii Sasuke-kun…! I told you! I can’t even hit the ball!”

Whoever designed the Iwasaki mansion and the surrounding gardens, it was carefully arranged to hide all the amenities from peering eyes. Grey stone garden walls and eye-pleasingly lush tree groups guarded the tennis court, the batting cage and the scenic clearing, covered by thoroughly manicured lawn. The gardens were „English style” instead of Japanese, and it matched the mansion building better, built with a little Tudor-touch here and a little Queen Anne there, as it was fashionable in the late 19th century when the Iwasaki family had it built.

The audience, who the frustrated squeal was addressed to, was actually lounging in the grass not far from the batting cage, in the form and shape of a young lad in his early twenties, leaning his back against a maple tree trunk, tapping his device screen without giving any attention to his scenic surroundings. He was dressed sharp for business, but his suit jacket was laid on the lawn next to him, and his white shirt unbuttoned by his neck as he was giving in to the warm air of a late Spring.

„Oi, Sasuke! Don't be such a brat not playing tennis with me instead!… ” The girl who eventually gave up batting, took off her helmet and glove and it seemed that she decided to torment the young lad instead of the pitcher machine from now on. With bouncy steps, still swinging the bat playfully in her hand, she approached the guy who didn’t reply to any of her whinings so far. She looked about fifteen, dressed in short tennis skirt and knee socks; as she took off her helmet, it revealed her light brown hair, shiny like melted caramel. Her features were more of a kid than an adolescent, with wide glaring eyes and lips pouted with the annoyance of a royalty.

„I want to play tennis.” she declared her will with the tone of a person who got used to have immediately fulfilled wishes. The youngster under the tree didn’t seem to be bothered by her order at all. His look still attached to his device screen, his answer came from under a mess of black hair bangs and spikes that covered his forehead, loosely framed his profile, gently revealed his ears, but hid his eyes from the girl. „Tennis takes two.” he murmured, obviously focusing on his tablet instead of what he was saying. „I’m busy. Go back and train.”

His fingertips indeed were running over the tap screen as he seemed to open and close files. The schoolgirl just stared at him for a minute with repressed vexation.

„I can’t train alone!” she burst out. „You should come and train me then, won’t you. You are my fiancé, Sasuke, and all you do when you call on me once a month…” – she put a hard emphasis on the last words – „… once a month, is just working and that kind of thing! I want to play a set with you, Sasuke.”

He eventually lifted his chin and took a glance on his „fiancée”; fine lines of a pale face and a pair of dark almond eyes became suddenly visible, not showing any sign of interest in anything though. „Be quiet already. I’m doing business. It’s what adults do, so give me a break.”

Schoolgirl lips pouted again with discontent then slowly the round eyes of the child began to be filled with something that very much looked like the shining of first tears. „Sasuke…” she whimpered first, like a kid, but her despair quickly turned into some daydreamy, overwhelmed condition. „…you’re so cool when acting so cold like this. It’s sooo coool…” – she indulged – „… it’s so bold and high-handed…” – she dropped herself down on the lawn, rolling onto her back, gazing at the sky amorously, her hands clasped on her chest with enthusiasm. „Certainly it shows you come from a very good family. I’m so happy we met and our parents approved the engagement. I’m so proud of you – the younger Uchiha who was already an executive in family business when still at college – how awesome is that?” There were no traces of tears in her eyes anymore. The younger Uchiha kept silent and didn’t show any intention to comment.

„When the girls in the school heard about my engagement to Uchiha Sasuke, they just screeeamed and literally… just … blew up like a frog on a hot plate!” She snickered triumphantly. „Do you have any idea what they are capable of to…”

„You mentioned you had an appointment this afternoon, Naho.” Sasuke’s dull tone suddenly interrupted her, not being able to conceal his growing impatience; he tap-tapped out of the files he was studying and took a glimpse on his watch.

She sat up and carefully got rid of some grass leaves stuck on her blouse. „Yeah, bummer. I have a dancing lesson this evening in Ginza, and of all days they’ve had to arrange it for today.” Small stars of hopes began to flash in her eyes. „But I can call in sick and stay at home with you if you want! How about having a dinner together?”

„No way.” the definite answer didn’t leave any escape route for her. „You must attend. How would you know how to waltz at the wedding ball if you skip your lessons?”

As this was the only possible reply to convince Naho and to save Sasuke from spending any more time with her today at the Iwasaki’s, he was rewarded by a gleaming gaze from her, a rare moment of just a tiny hint of a possible mutual understanding, and also this was the moment when Sasuke’s phone began to chirp. He picked it up and at the same time Naho became non-existent for him again.

„Yeah, it’s me.”

Naho’s mood quickly collapsed into an obvious boredom routine as soon as Sasuke began to talk into his phone; she glared hopelessly at his jacket lying on the ground.

„No, I already talked to him once. He can’t expect me to meet him in person and negotiate before the clan makes the decision. I would look totally disrespectful.”

Naho reached for Sasuke’s jacket and her fingers slowly sneaked into the inner pockets.

„No, I haven’t promised him anything. He lies. It’s an oyabun-level matter. Just decline politely and tell him to wait. … Or, Shino, you know what? You don’t have to be so polite. You are Uchiha clan, and who is Yakushi Kabuto anyway.” Sasuke almost closed his phone but the other party obviously brought up another subject. „Yes. Naho-chan’s security guy? Yeah, let him in. We are heading out in five with Naho.” and he clicked to disconnect.

A cigarette. A slim rod of a cigarette, a treasure stolen from Sasuke's inner pockets, was apparently going to meet Naho's lips but his final words made it stop within an inch from her mouth.

„What?! In five?! We still have more than an hour!”

Sasuke grabbed the cigarette back. „You have to change clothes for your lesson, and I have other things to deal with.” He rose to his feet and fetched his jacket, sinking the rod into the crumpled pack where it had been taken from. “… What’s this security guy who comes for you?”

Strolling side by side they rounded the corner of the tennis court, and approached the front garden, nearing the estate front gate.

„Oh, that. My uncle always hires one for me when I’m going out alone. Just to protect me.”

„Protect you from what?” he asked incredulously.

„From whatever. The paparazzi?”

„The paparazzi? You are a schoolgirl, Naho.”

„But I’m an Iwasaki niece! with hundreds of followers on Buzzer! … And, in case you forgot, engaged to an Uchiha… Or would you like to see your fiancée kidnapped?”

Before Sasuke could have decided if this question was worth to be replied or not, they noticed a young man standing by the hydrangea bushes, waiting for them, hands shoved into pockets, his stare following their movements, looking bored and intrigued at the same time. Except from his rather professional slim black suit, he looked almost flamboyant: his messy blond hair was noticeable from miles, and he wore a loud-colored logo t-shirt under his unbuttoned suit jacket, the flashy yellows and oranges were shouting at Sasuke and Naho even from the distance.

Sasuke stopped for a second then kept moving. “Is this the guy who's going to protect you from being kidnapped?”

“See?! I told you so, Sasuke!” she responded eagerly. “I would feel much safer with you! Why don't you give me a drive to Ginza, and we could chat along the way, and then you could show up at the dance school with me and then...”

“He's more than adequate.” his verdict was rushed and categorical.

They stopped in front of the blond thug, who, from this proximity, looked quite young – about the age of the Uchiha. If blond hair wasn't enough, he had scandalously blue, impertinent eyes. He looked like a _gaijin_.

“So you'll have to do.” Naho greeted him with a disappointed and belittling tone which made the blond lad raise his eyebrows. “Are you my bodyguard today from the Senju Agency? For you I'm Naho-sama. You will escort me to Ginza and back. And if anything happens to me, you'll be done for!”

“Ehm, excuse me, but...” and he snickered a bit while awkwardly shifted from one foot to the other and back. “I was told to escort an important lady, not a little girl, so, ummm, obviously you've confused me with someone else, so can you tell me where I can find the...”

A curved line by the corner of Sasuke's mouth, a hardly visible irritated smirk.

“Watch your mouth, Fuzzy Hair! I'm the niece of the head of the Iwasaki's.” Naho straightened her shoulders and tried to look as tall as possible. “One word from me and you'll be fired from the Senju!”

“Not that I should know who are the Iwasakis, Short Skirt!” The blond boy shrugged. “And you look more than capable to defend yourself without me, I can give you that. So? where are your parents?”

Naho-chan gasped for breath before turning to Sasuke who stood there by her side, impassively, looking past them, as if he didn't understand a single word of their conversation.

“That's IT! I'm not going anywhere with this rude idiot. Sasuke! Tell my uncle you changed your mind and accompany me!”

Sasuke simply glanced down at her and responded coldly. “I don't have more time for babysitting.” With a sleek motion, he slid into his jacket, adjusting his shirt collar, then he performed such an orderly bow before the schoolgirl that it would have been acceptable at the Imperial Court. “It's been a pleasure, Naho-chan. You'd better do what you're told by your uncle. See you next time.”

It was clear he wanted to leave without wasting any more time so he didn't wait for her reply, nor he approved the presence of the other person with even a glance; he walked out following the path toward the entrance gate.

Naho watched him go, lips pressed. The role that she took so seriously though, slowly claimed her and forced her not to throw a tantrum or run after her loved one in front of the hired staff. The water-shaded color of her eyes changed to marble-shaded. “Wait for me outside by the car.” she said sounding less demanding now than before, and when she retired back to the house she didn't notice that it was not only her whose eyes had followed Sasuke leaving.

* * *

It was that segment of motion as Sasuke stepped into his car. It was the very same sight, even if almost 12 years had passed. His driver – now a young goon in black suit, wearing perfectly round sunglasses – opened the door for him, the luxury sedan flashed a shiny Escalade logo on its side, Sasuke stepped into the leather-covered space at the back, bowed his head a bit as he got in and disappeared inside, then the door discreetly slammed to be closed.

This was the moment when Naruto instantly recognized the guy who had been so familiar when he saw him by the side of Iwasaki Naho. He didn't change much, neither the type of car he got in, nor the goon who guarded him. Naruto still didn't remember his name, but surely he knew where to place him – he was a clan guy. Even when they were just kids then, he was a clan son. From that type of clans, you know. Old family. Arrogant, unbearable and perhaps unbeatable. At least, on that day when Naruto first met this black-haired brat, he acted unbeatable.

Naruto shoved his fists into his pockets, leaning against the car while waiting for her little royal highness Naho-sama, watching Sasuke's sedan driving off in the direction of the city. The memory of being disparaged was sharp and clear again, made his cheeks burned, and his taste bitter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course this chapter is based on the filler episode 196 of Naruto Shippuden. One of my favorite fillers, pure comedy about a little noble girl who has a crush on Sasuke, on the other hand, the end of the ep. is suddenly gorey dark. I found it a believable idea that little Naho can be promised to Sasuke, as an alliance between the daimyo and the Uchiha clan - though of course, hierarchically, the honor is on the fiancé' side.


	2. And Show the Sign of Greeting as You Were Taught

_12 years earlier – “Shuriken” Dojo - Asakusa, Tokyo_

… 12-year old Uchiha Sasuke, still wearing his white training garb, stepped into a car to take a back seat. The door was opened for him by one of those black suit men who surrounded the sedan; the car was all shine and white and mirroring chrome; the men were all black necktie and sunglasses; the only colorful companion around Sasuke was a graceful middle-aged woman in a patterned dress who took her seat right next to him, holding Sasuke's sports bag. She also belonged to the staff.

As the vehicle door slammed and the guard also got in, Sasuke's pale face was once again, for the last time, slightly visible through the window. He didn't look back at the building of the dojo or, for that matter, anyone else.

“I guess he doesn't have to stay to clean the floor with us.”

The comment came from behind Naruto's back and stirred some giggling. The regular taijutsu training hour ended at 9 PM and as a rule, all the kid participants had to stay to do the place and wipe the wooden floor clean. Only the moment when not even a single strand of hair could be visible anymore they were allowed to gather by the lower door, kneel down, bow for the training hall and leave for home.

It seemed that some clan kids didn't have to learn that kind of discipline.

“He's already wiped the floor in case you haven't noticed.”

The teasing remark certainly came from the blonde daughter of a local flower shop owner. Ino wasn't entirely untalented in combat and she was a regular at the training, but she showed much more talent in using her sharp tongue, besides, she was considered to come here for the boys rather than for improvement in jutsu.

She smirked when she saw that her remark hit the target as Naruto turned to her with frowning eyes.

“It's been enlightening, really.” agreed a team mate, Kiba, as he passed by them with a handful of mops and brooms. He didn't seem to be annoyed by Ino's hint, although he was one of those three apprentices who had been floored by Sasuke previously that evening.

“You're just envious, Ino, admit it.” - he added. “You're dying for a chance it would be you whom the Uchiha wipes the floor with.”

“I never denied that.” giggled Ino, shrugging a shoulder flirtatiously, being very aware of her own teen girl prettiness, until a hard look from a dojo instructor gestured her to go back to cleaning.

* * *

Palms resting gently on thighs, feet pressed flat into the tatami mats.

Soft sighs and excited whispers of girls at the back, as their look glued on the new boy by the lower door, standing there dressed in training garb, accompanied by a man and woman who were clearly not his parents – they seemed more like the boy's subordinates. This, and the fact that he was atrociously good-looking, a trim figure, hair like feathers of a crow, made it a hate at first sight for Naruto.

“... You can learn much from sparring with pupils of other training schools, after all, sparring with your own team mates becomes predictable after a while. Believe it or not, you've got to be taken down by a stranger to begin to fully understand what it means to use your skills consciously and to plan ahead.”

The apprentices of the age group of 12-14 were listening to their instructor, Mitarashi Anko-sensei, who was responsible for their taijutsu lesson that day. They were all sitting around by the walls, leaving the center of the training hall empty.

“Today, the son of one of our sponsor families requested to join us for training and for friendly spar – please receive Uchiha Sasuke-kun kindly.”

The introduction caused more overexcited titters and giggling among the girls.

The Uchiha kid made a light bow before the group, then took his sitting position, calmly. Ino fetched a deep longing sigh right into Naruto's ears.

“... Our school can teach you sequences, positions, chains, technics, and you should repeat them over and over until perfection, but the real trial of your talent is how you deal with an opponent, right? So taijutsu pair training!”

Anko-sensei clashed her palms together and paused for a minute to consider the first pair.

“Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke!” she yelled. “Take your positions and show the sign of greeting as you were taught.”

As annoying it could be to interact with that smug moron, at least it could be just as satisfying to punch into his face.

“Begin!”

A hasty launch of punch by Naruto's right fist, meeting immediately with Sasuke's block by his left arm – and with the same momentum Sasuke's open right palm hitting Naruto's chest so forcefully that Naruto fell back, thudded on the floor planks, eyes wide open by the sudden shock.

And as if Sasuke knew exactly that Naruto would jump up the next second, using the force of their clash he whirled around to take a new position, pounced on Naruto and before the blond could even move a leg to block him, Sasuke orderly pinned him down from neck to knee, his fist stopping still right before Naruto's nose.

Naruto looked up as if awakening from sleep and his eyes met a pair of black ones.

“Sasuke wins.” he heard the verdict. “Do the friendship sign as you learned, then let's have the next pair!”

Sasuke rose to his feet and after a slight hesitation, he reached his hand to help Naruto stand up. The blond boy didn't accept it, leaped up and glared at him such a way that Sasuke furrowed his brows.

“What? You want a piece of me again?” he asked in a deep low tone, possibly trying to avoid being heard by the sensei.

“Moron...” Naruto murmured under his breath. However weird it was, this was exactly what he wanted – a second turn, a new chance of spar, another taste of him, to prove to this jerk that he could beat him, that it was all a mistake that Sasuke won, and that he had to approve Naruto being the superior.

But Sasuke had to spar with two more other boys that evening, then left at the end of the training hour by car and Naruto never saw him again – neither in the Shuriken Dojo, nor in other dojo later.

* * *

_Tokyo Branch HQ, Shimura Danzo's Office - Shinjuku, Tokyo_

The electronic chime announced the arrival of the elevator, the door slided open and two pair of shoes started their way heading along the hall: a pair of female pumps followed by a pair of male lace-up leather smart shoes.

The silent and abandoned hall, covered by thick wall-to-wall carpet and granite-patterned panelling, was softly lit by a row of sconces. It was late evening, the hour when everyone already left their offices for the nearest bar, nightclub or karaoke rooms; the wild neon lights of the nearby high-rises could be seen dancing in the dark through the windows at the end of the hall.

The female pair of shoes stopped by a wooden double door and she politely opened it for the male guest. “Would you please wait inside until Mr. Shimura summons you, sir? We apologize for the slight inconvenience. Mr. Shimura hasn't yet finished his previous appointment. ”

Sasuke entered the room which was furnished as a smaller conference room. About six or seven designer chairs surrounded the metal-legged conference table, and the room corners were almost wrapped in darkness while the center was friendly lit by the desk lamps on top of the table. The female employee bowed deeply before she closed the door and left Sasuke alone.

The first thing that Sasuke noticed and which revealed that he wasn't alone after all, was a pair of feet – male feet, wearing sandals, leaving the naked toes visible. Even in the dimness he could see clearly that the toenails were polished dark purple. Above the pair of sandals a pair of long legs and a lean torso floated fluently, lounging in an armchair, dressed into a soft, silky type of suit that looked much more comfortable than the usual business ones. The lounging body was crowned by a face that was hauntingly similar to Sasuke's – except perhaps some bitter lines by his lips and eyes – and long black hair tied back into a ponytail.

The young man was sitting in an armchair in a dim corner, leaning back comfortably and was watching Sasuke. He didn't say a word.

“The hell are you doing here.” Sasuke broke the silence eventually. “I thought you were in Osaka.”

“Hn.” The older man gently interlaced his fingers, a gold signet ring flickered on one of his. “I still recall times when we had to properly greet each other when we met.”

Sasuke paused then decided; he raised his right hand and formed a seal with two of his vertical fingers; the sign of the intention to spar.

The man in the armchair closed his eyes for a second. “Very funny. So you still pamper this childish feud between us?”

Sasuke didn't reply.

“A few hours ago I've arrived. There's a board meeting of directors at the Asano Group tomorrow that I must attend.”

Sasuke couldn't hide the quick flicker of irritation in his eyes, but when he replied his tone was succesfully forced to sound bored. “You never miss an opportunity to remind me that you've already gone corporate while I'm still nowhere near.”

“I've never done such thing.” the other man answered with a similarly bored but somewhat softer tone. He examined Sasuke curiously, with a meditative look.

“I have heard the news about Orochimaru.” he dropped the sentence lightly. “Is there a possibility that you can be linked to the case?” and he crossed his ankles as he reclined expecting the answer. “I mean, you are obviously linked, so let me rephrase the question.” He glanced at the ceiling, meditatively. “Is there a possibility of a solid proof against you in the case?”

Sasuke's lips slightly parted then closed. He shook his head uncertainly. “I knew that you came for something like this.” He glanced at the door. “You don't say that you've met Danzo because of Orochimaru's death?”

“Before you say anything, Sasuke...” the man interrupted him, and his tone turned sharper like fluid steel. “... you must understand that you can't play dumb in this, and please don't waste my time with objecting. You spent plenty of time lately in the company of Orochimaru and his men. Several wittnesses can be found in Tokyo who saw you in his club by his table, in his bath-house having a bath together, you were once seen visiting him even in his company's office. In the last two weeks you were invited to his house parties about three times. You were also there in his home at the night when he was slaughtered.”

Sasuke gave up to interrupt with a response; he leaned against the conference table, one hand shoved elegantly in his pants pocket, annoyed and impatient smirk on his face.

“Anyone would state, Sasuke, that you cased the joint.” The dark-haired man's glare pierced on Sasuke's form; there was not the slightest motion he didn't note. “You gained his trust, you learned his daily customs, his household, and somehow you found a way into his bedroom, where, apparently, he was finished off.” While saying this, he slowly and pointedly examined Sasuke's body, from his open shirt collar down to his hips in suit pants.

Sasuke's cheeks flushed and brows furrowed. “Now, that's rich, Itachi, even from you.”

His brother just raised a hand to stop him and went on. “Know your enemy – this was taught to you, and to me as well. Except that in this case, Orochimaru wasn't your enemy – you decided to become his. We were also taught to keep the peace between the clans and alliances.”

Itachi paused, but this time Sasuke didn't make a comment.

“Now that Orochimaru is dead, his territory has become open season for anyone. The whole Roppongi; nightclubs, hostess clubs.... arcade dens, gambling rooms... massage parlors. Certainly a desirable turf for an ambitious man.” and with these last words, he meaningfully looked at Sasuke again.

This time Sasuke proudly and challengingly lifted his head.

“So, going back to my original question... is there a possibility of a solid proof against you in this case?”

“No.” answered Sasuke shortly and two pairs of dark eyes met knowingly.

“Glad to hear that.” Itachi stood up – now it became obvious that he was a head taller than his younger brother – he smoothly adjusted his soft jacket, and for a moment, rested his look on the plain table surface. “I'm not proud of you in this story, but glad to hear that.” he added. “And I know you don't give a fuck if I'm proud of you or not – so you can spare your sarcasm.”

“You read my thoughts, as usual.” replied Sasuke with a shrug full of disdain.

Itachi approached the door and with two short knocks he tapped it from the inside then opened it. In the hall, in front of the door the same woman who escorted Sasuke here was waiting, evidently for Itachi's signal that they were finished. She bowed deeply and said in a melodic tone: “Mr. Shimura is expecting you, Uchiha Sasuke-san.”

“Hn.” Sasuke glanced at Itachi. “After your lecture, shall I expect another one from Danzo, as well?”

“Not very likely.” answered Itachi calmly. “He's impressed by the rumors, and it's maybe just rumors about you after all. Regardless, your nickname seems to be changing, my congratulations. Instead of Uchiha “the Kid” Sasuke, I heard already an Uchiha “the Slayer” Sasuke.” - it was obvious by his features that he didn't find it funny.

Sasuke jerked his head as he stared at his brother. For a moment, he couldn't even form the phrases he wanted. “You... YOU call ME a slayer?”

His stare became frozen as he turned to leave. He left Itachi behind as if he didn't want to see him for the rest of his life.


	3. Currently He's Recruiting

_Ichiraku Ramen – Street Front Food Shop - Ueno, Tokyo_

At first sight, it was like any other time – the potted flowers by the corner, the bycicle racks by the edge of road – although this time no parking vehicles in front of the shop, which looked weird... - the _noren_ curtains with the inscription of “Ichiraku Ramen” and the red paper lantern indicating that the shop was open; Naruto sometimes thought that he already smelled the ramen even if he hadn't yet entered the establishment but that wasn't true.

A garish yellow T-shirt with logo; a strap of a side bag crossing his chest, hanging by his hip; crumpled cargo pants with zips, pockets, straps and buckles here and there; and an empty stomach – that was young Uzumaki Naruto at noon, heading to work – and being late, not unusually – and as a custom, not being able to resist the idea of a bowl of hot ramen before checking in for a possible new assignment. But how comes, that...

No one was sitting by the counter in the shop – not a single soul. That was weird. On the other hand, in each corner of the tiny shop cardboard boxes of different sizes piled up along the walls, some of them closed, some of them still open. A young slim woman, wearing white kitchen garb and apron, was rummaging in one of them up to her elbows, gingerly but quickly, and she didn't even lift her head when Naruto entered.

“Good morn... I mean, what's up, Ayame? Hey, are you actually op...?”

“Ah, Naruto!” addressed him a male voice from the direction of the kitchen door. “Right on time for your last bowl of ramen.” This sounded gloomy enough, uncharacteristic for the owner of the shop, ramen chef Teuchi-san who emerged from the kitchen with a face as resentful as Naruto never had seen it before. “Hey, Ayame!... have you put the ladles away?”

“Yeah yeah... just a minute... Oh, hi, Naruto-kun.” she blushed a little as she flashed her big eyes on the blond boy. “Nice of you to come. We will miss your patronage very much.”

“But the... what the hell is going on?!”

Teuchi was already routinely topping the steaming bowl behind the counters. “We are packing, as you can see, obviously.” He arranged the bowl quickly on a tray, accompanied by a small dish of gyoza and slipped it on the counter for Naruto. “Ramen - with extra meat on the house today.” then he paused a bit waiting for Naruto to slowly take a seat. “I'm selling the house.” he finished.

“You selling what?” Naruto echoed incredulously while he took the chopsticks. “But wasn't it you who said the other day that you wouldn't sell it ever?”

Teuchi, again routinely, wiped the countertop with a cloth. Ayame closed the box that she was working on and hurried upstairs.

“Things change when you get a well-placed offer, Naruto.” he said, and when he noticed that Naruto, even with noodles hanging from his mouth, was expecting him to continue, he went on. “In fact, someone bought the lot next to mine and they want to turn it into an apartment building... bulldozing the whole site and building from scratch... but they need my lot for that as well because the other is not big enough. So... they sent their men here, in person, and made me an offer for the whole property.”

Naruto waited a moment then his eyes opened a bit wider with the realization. “You don't mean that...”

“I had to sell it... or else.” the ramen chef nodded.

He shrugged then. “At least they paid a fair price. Could have been worse.” he turned his back to Naruto who stopped eating, then he returned to the kitchen. ““Ayame!!” he yelled loud. “Where have you put the sieves?!”

Naruto stared sullenly at the slice of dripping meat held by his chopsticks. With a sour face, he bit it and slowly savored it. The meat, much to his dismay, was excellent.

 

* * *

_Senju Agency, Tsunade's Office - Ueno, Tokyo_

A neatly manicured and nailpolished female hand held the card – a little smaller than greeting cards, with inscription of white letters on black background – and tapped its edges onto the desk slowly and pensively. It looked as if a gambler was considering to lay down; but she just kept gently knocking the desk surface with the hard edges of the card.

“I don't even have anything black to wear.” She exclaimed.

Although she was alone in the room, her raised voice meant that someone had to be out there to communicate with. She was sitting by an office desk, in the middle of a tight and, consequently, disarranged and cluttered space for work; by her right hand, an open laptop – quite an outdated model - surrounded by small Post-It sheets glued all around, covered with handwriting. Folders of different sizes were stacked in neat files on the floor and any other surfaces along the walls. The view to the street from the 2nd-floor window was shrouded by old-fashioned wooden blinds.

The door which led to the hall and waiting room, was wide open and after some noises of rummaging, another woman appeared in the door frame, slender and nimble, in her thirties, black hair swept across her forehead and to her cheeks.

“I can lend you my black cardigan. Maybe I have a skirt too, somewhere...” - she said.

The woman behind the desk reclined in her chair, still holding the card between her fingers. She was about a decade older than her colleague, slightly more muscular and heavier, her dark blonde hair tied back in a loose bun. She waved with resignation. “Nah – no way that I could squeeze myself into your cardigan, Shizune.” And she glanced down at her indeed remarkable size of bosom. “Perhaps that's all the better. It settles that I shall pass.”

“So you won't go to the wake? I thought you had been close friends with Orochimaru once.” The woman standing by the door examined the other with interest. “You received a very nice invitation, Tsunade. Are there relatives to mourn him?”

“I have no idea. The card was sent by a Yakushi Kabuto, “ _on behalf of the family_ ”. - Tsunade raised the card and brought it closer to her eyes. “I haven't talked to Orochimaru since college. It's been ages ago. I had seen him a few times since then, and, of course, I knew about his... endevours of a later stage.”

Shizune nodded.

“But that was all. He was a very inspiring company to spend the time with when we were freshmen, however... he already had such a creepy way of thinking. We talked whole nights through after the drunken parties about philosophical questions, laying on the ground too wasted to lift a finger. We both wanted to change the whole world, in our own ways.” Tsunade lowered her eyelids for a moment.

“Who could have done that to him?” Shizune shuddered. “It's rumored that he was... summarily executed. In old-fashioned way - blood all over the room. Can it be a message from a rival? Maybe we can expect the outbreak of a yakuza war...?”

“Be realistic, Shizune. No one has any interests in starting yakuza wars. It's bad for their business. The media would love it though, obviously.” Tsunade was letting her thoughts lazily linger over the room and drift away through the window. “At the moment, I can't imagine anyone among the clans of Tokyo who would settle the matters this way... it must be personal.”

* * *

When Naruto entered the Senju Agency Office, which was located in a traditional but rather grungy street, on the upper floor of a two-story high, old rundown store building, he found Shizune collecting dirty empty tea cups on a tray in the waiting room, while Tsunade was sitting on the couch, legs crossed by the knees, working on a laptop in her lap.

“Ah, Naruto. How was it going with the Iwasaki girl?” Tsunade asked without looking up. It didn't seem like, though, that she actually had doubts about it going well. Hence, Naruto didn't waste much time on reassuring answers. He just plopped down on the opposite other couch, ruffling up his hair with a palm.

“So tedious.” he moaned. “Can't believe that kid can be so obsessed with her own importance. And that creepy clinging to the idea of a dude whom she's engaged to...? At least she fell asleep on the way home so she kept quiet in the end.”

With morose eyes, he sulkily stared at Tsunade.

“So, I suppose, umm, the next one, by any chance, would be someone harder or more challenging? I mean, not a kid, or that cook who had that precious recipe that I had to guard, or that musician mission when we had a violin to keep safe...?!”

“That was a Stradivari, and we have discussed this subject before. I can't cook soup if I have only water at home. Besides, the Iwasaki family is a regular client of ours, mind you, and they compensate generously. I transferred your share this morning for the job... and” - then she dug a money roll out of her pocket and offered it to him “... here's your bonus.”

Naruto seemed to be a tiny bit more exhilarated; he got to his feet, grabbed the roll and thrust it into his side bag. “Thanks.” he murmured. It looked like usual routine, but Tsunade wasn't entirely free from worries; at least, she rested her look on Naruto as if she expected some upcoming trouble on the horizon.

“Regardless... something has come up that I want to talk to you about privately. Shizune – don't let us be disturbed for a bit.” She got up and took her way resolutely to her office, gesturing Naruto on the way to join her.

* * *

“What? … Am I getting fired?” Naruto didn't sit down, instead, he expectantly leaned against the window, waiting for Tsunade to speak.

“I don't blame you for being impatient, Naruto – you're highly skilled and indeed the jobs that I can offer you recently are plain and low-rank. Business doesn't go too well either, but that's my problem, not yours.” Tsunade sighed. ”Anyway... What makes me worried about you is not your daily jobs but your future – after all, you are not only my employee but my relative, as well.”

She paused as it was obvious that she was not entirely comfortable with the topic. “We discussed this before, and obviously the options haven't changed. You don't want to do anything in the army. You're reluctant about the Law Enforcement, and I admit I can understand that. There may be options in politics, but that's the hardest without a college degree. Of course, if I retire some day, you might take over my business if you want, but... I'm still in my forties.”

“With martial arts as your strength”- she went on - “you have one more option and I want you to seriously consider it.”

Undoubtedly Naruto sported a frown of thinking, but there was no sign of him realizing yet what it meant.

“I was approached by the younger son of the Uchiha clan.” - Tsunade switched to a more professional tone. “He's responsible for a part of Yanaka and Asakusa, but he's young and evidently eager to achieve for more. Currently he's recruiting – which is nothing new, everyone is recruiting at present, when there's such a shortage of young men who are ready for tough work, but... this guy is up to something. He builds a crew with care, both for field work and for personal security. He asked me if I had someone among my employees who might be interested – and whom I could recommend.”

Tsunade reclined, steepling his fingers.

“Generally, I don't do favors to the clans. You know there are chiefs who I'm in good terms with, and sometimes we help each other with intel. The Uchiha, I haven't had any business with them so far, but honestly, I don't want to pretend that it's not an honor that they approve the Senju. This clan, at the same time is an old family with centuries' heritage and a group with the most current approach of how to work as yakuza: they are blending - and quite successful on that.”

She stopped as she realized that Naruto listened to her grudgingly, clearly unhappy about where this was going. Then she continued mercilessly.

“They joined a small alliance that is not blacklisted under the Anti-Yakuza Law, so they operate as legal as possible. They have founded companies that are already shareholders in prosperous bigger ones, and lately they appeared as members in the boards of directors of huge enterprises – clearly their strategy is to become participants of business decision-making.”

Naruto rubbed his nose. Tsunade almost smiled faintly, but showing it would have been nonprofessional.

“The reason I bore you with these details, Naruto, is trying to make you understand that working for an Uchiha can be a promising way of... career development. No one will ask you about your schools – they're interested in your actual skills. You can learn much on the field. Especially from that overachiever brat Sasuke who seems to be even more ambitious than his older brother.”

Naruto reluctantly shrugged, slowly swaying his head. “You know, granny, that I don't like this kind of folks that much.” He begin to study thoroughly all the framed pictures displayed on the shelf next to the window. “I received recruit calls like that before, and I always said no.”

“I warned you not to call me granny, and yes, I know that.” Tsunade stood up, and walked over to Naruto to regard his face thoughtfully. “But this is a job you can't label as a babysitting mission again. You know very well about the risks. However corporate they want to become, the situations still can be rough around the young Uchiha. And I mean rough. But you know that I wouldn't mention this offer to you if I found it to be unacceptable.”

She crossed her arms on her ample chest, studying Naruto's features with sympathy.

“If you are open for it, I can arrange a meeting. He can tell you what he expects, you can tell him what you expect, and maybe you two make a deal.”

 

* * *

By the end of the day, when all the small stores of the area around rolled their shutters down, Tsunade came back to her office with a paper shop bag in her hand, gently placed it on the coffee table and when Shizune looked up from her accounting paperwork, Tsunade pulled a black piece of cloth out of the bag and showed to her.

Shizune faintly smiled. “So you will go eventually...?”

Tsunade replied as matter-of-factly and neutrally as she could. “There's a chance I'm the only one around who remembers the college kid Orochimaru, the person once he was... before all of this. I want there at least one person who remembers that other Orochimaru. It's only fair.”

Shizune nodded and went back to arranging the bills as if it was just as important.

 


	4. Wakizashi Tango

_Tokyo Branch HQ, Shimura Danzou's Office - Shinjuku, Tokyo_

 

“You don't mind if I smoke, do you?”

The question bluntly interrupted the discussion.

Five people were sitting around the table in the small conference room, some of them dressed in business formal, some of them more leisurely as if they just hopped into the meeting between two party lounge visits – and that might even had been true. Now four of them stared at the man who was asking the question.

He replied with a grin flashing too many teeth, then put an elbow on the table and raised a pack in his hand, expectantly. He didn't receive the answer he was waiting for, though.

“My apologies, Hoshigaki-san, but we don't keep ashtrays in the conference rooms.” replied coldly the man who was obviously the host of the discourse, judging by his stiff posture, his power suit, and with a kind of grim graciousness in his eyes. The other parties who were sitting around the table abstained from voting and remained quiet.

Hoshigaki Kisame shrugged a shoulder and without much enthusiasm, he made the pack disappear in one of his leather jacket pockets.

“Of course if you find the subject of our meeting boring, you can step out to the roof terrace.” the host added, with a slightly colder tone.

He waited for a moment, and since no one had any remarks, he went on. “We should consider this excellent summary provided by our brother, Hyuuga Hiashi-san about Orochimaru's previous territory. I would be pleased to hear the opinions about the possible claims and the situation from all of you. I respectfully remind you of the formalities: according to your own rules, all the clans of this alliance have to agree when making decisions, as a compromise; in case of unresolvable conflict, my vote decides.”

Then he nodded in anticipation and waited silently.

One of the four members of the council who surrounded him was an elder lady, Sister Koharu, grey hair neatly coiffed into a traditional bun, wrinkles of more than seven decades on her face, lips pressed into a pouted thin line. The other three were all men in their prime, Hoshigaki Kisame with his wide mouth and tiny eyes, his spiky hair forced to point skywards by wax; Hyuuga Hiashi with his unusual ice-colored eyes and long hair cascading down on the back of his perfect business suit. Finally, next to Kisame, Uchiha Itachi, wrapping himself into his unreadable expression and a sheen metallic-shade suit jacket. He was the only one who kept a smartphone near at hand; all the others were sitting behind empty plain surface.

They all waited politely for the eldest speak first.

“That's undoubtedly an enormous venture.” she said. “Certainly valuable enough to escalate gang wars until the final owner is settled. If we decide to claim it, that means we have to prepare for war and I'm just wondering if we have the proper resources for that.”

The Hyuuga clan head cleared his throat. “I think the resources are the least problematic in this matter. The Hyuuga, the Uchiha, and the Hoshigaki together have the adequate number of men for forcing a claim; the problem lies elsewhere. For one: either clan will take the control over Roppongi, and does it with success, that very clan doubles or triples in size and business. Maybe even bigger. I remind you: just one nightclub in Roppongi with illegal gambling rooms means the income of 2 or 3 millions yen per weekend – and it's just one venue per one weekend.”

“You mean... this is the 5%?” Kisame drew a small circle into the air.

Hiashi nodded. “Yes, by 2 or 3 millions I mean our 5 %.”

This statement was received in respectful silence.

“And this is just the extort.” he continued. “Orochimaru had his own personal investments into... interesting stuff, as well. Some of them seem to be quite profitable. My concern is, can we all accept if one of us grows so much stonger that it may endanger our stability?” His gaze slithered around and then rested on Itachi. “Uchiha Sasuke's offer to claim the turf for his clan, and for himself as the executive means that the Uchiha could grow considerably bigger than before in Tokyo – think it over, Sister Koharu, Kisame-san, before you vote.”

The elder lady looked enquiringly at the head of the council. Shimura Danzou, with a gesture of hand, answered matter-of-factly.

“I had a face-to-face meeting with Sasuke the other day, and I was honestly impressed by his presentation. He was ready to undertake the field work of the whole area, and among other things, he expressed his wish to end the school girl merchandise which was Orochimaru's less glorious personal investment.”

“School girl merchandise?!”

“Teen girls in school uniforms, Sister Koharu.” Kisame grinned. “Per hour, or per night. Very popular lately. They have to be real, authentic high school girls, not cosplay pros. Class presidents can charge extra.”

Sister Koharu frowned with consternation. “That's not a very wise business to do. How can you rely on underage girls, as business partners?! They must spit out all intel at the very moment a cop lays a hand on them.”

“Yeah, exactly. Totally unreliable.” agreed Kisame, still grinning.

“Sasuke wishes to wipe it,” Danzou went on “but intends to resume some others which are more like investments to the future than actual income. Orochimaru had serious issues with the organ-trafficking Chinese mafia on his turf, and as a result, he had founded a partly illegal laboratory for experiments on 3D printing of body organs. Sasuke told me he was interested in this – he believes that on the long run it can break the whole Chinese organ trade. As he said, 4 or 5 more years, and we could be able to sell the highest quality printed organs on the black market, without any need for actual human bodies.”

For a second, they froze into a motionless silence.

“What?!” exclaimed the old woman. “... Surely you have an ambitious little brother, Itachi-san.”

“The question is, whether our alliance supports Sasuke's claim in the first place.” added Danzou. “If we vote yes, evidently serious conflicts with other rival alliances can be expected over Roppongi that we have to deal with.” then he looked straight at Itachi who, up till this moment, hadn't said a word. “May we hear about the position of the Uchiha clan in this matter?”

Itachi replied softly but clearly. “The Uchiha clan is aware of the details of Sasuke's offer and decided not to support it.”

Two pairs of eyes of stunned stare on Itachi, one cautious and knowing look by Danzou and a filthy smirk from Kisame, who, likely the only one in the room, seemed to somewhat expect this statement.

“Are you serious?” asked Hyuuga Hiashi. “How can you expect us to back Sasuke up if his own family doesn't support him? … Are you speaking on behalf of the whole Uchiha clan?”

Itachi nodded a bit. “Yes, that's a clan decision. We don't expect the Hyuuga or the Hoshigaki to back Sasuke up.”

His tone was polite and a bit apologetic. “Of course you all can take side of him against me, and try to convince me into a compromise, but you have to take my arguments under consideration as well. I want to especially remind you of the consequences regarding the conditions of the Anti-Yakuza Law. If Sasuke successfully takes over that area and begins to work, his operations and the size of it unavoidably would tend to fall under the law conditions. This would endanger all of us as an alliance. He could push us into the blacklisted category. The police would start to sniff around, harassing our employees, ruining our business, not to mention the trouble caused by the violence on streets when he, obviously, will have to fight for his claim. Our new corporate partners certainly wouldn't be pleased to hear.”

Sister Koharu and Hyuuga Hiashi were listening with a clearly disappointed expression, Shimura Danzou's face remained cryptic, and Kisame kept his knowing, impertinent smirk as he didn't take his eyes off of Itachi's profile.

“Personally...” Itachi went on, slower this time, “...as a further concern, I’m not entirely convinced about Sasuke’s competence. This job is massive, both in economic and in enforcing sense. My brother might be lacking in the necessary experience.”

Hiashi spread his hands in frustration as he responded. “All these considerations aside, we can't back Sasuke up without the Uchiha's agreement. Apparently Itachi-san has ended the discussion.” He looked around. “Is there any other claim for Orochimaru's territory from within this alliance?”

No one said a word of answer.

“Then it's settled. The Hyuuga, to our deepest regret, votes _No_ for Sasuke's offer.”

A dismissive smile from Kisame. “Also a _No_ from the Hoshigaki.”

Sister Koharu frowned and nodded with a weary and resigned gesture as she glanced at Danzou.

Shimura Danzou paused catching a last quick glimpse of Itachi's dark glare, as his black hair falling into his face along his cheeks made it even more unreadable. Itachi didn't intend to add anything else - it seemed he already gained what he wanted.

“Well then.” Danzou said. “I'll inform Sasuke about our decision.”

* * *

 

_Gym storehouse - Asakusa, Tokyo_

The address didn't look like a gym at all; the sweets shop was right there at the corner, and the red-brick paneled small apartment house was also there, right across the street, just as Tsunade had described, but the so-called gym looked much more like a storehouse closed for the public. No windows, only an unfriendly narrow entrance door without door bell, and a huge garage door that was shrouded with rolled-down shutter.

There was a shop sign displayed above the door though, reading “Storage – Gym Equipment”.

Naruto knocked loudly and looked up. He saw balcony fences upstairs, but he had a feeling that no one lived there. He banged the door again, receiving disapproving looks from the passersby.

Then the door clicked and opened slightly ajar, making someone visible who looked like a student guy; a frighteningly pale young face with a well-cut short hair; white shirt and a fine artistic hand holding the door. Naruto couldn't see his other hand, which fact made him step cautiously back a bit from the door frame.

“What? We're closed. Go somewhere else.” he suggested while he looked at Naruto up and down, from head to toes.

“I'm looking for Uchiha Sasuke. We have an appointment. I'm sent by the Senju.”

“Ha.” the boy reacted. “Who would have thought. You look like some American tourist.” then he tilted his chin sideways. “Walk around through the alley and find the rear door.” and immediately closed the door and the conversation.

It wasn't very simple at first sight to find the right alley which made the connection to the back of the storage building but Naruto found the way around quickly. “Assholes.” he muttered as he eventually arrived, finding a rear door discreetly hidden behind dumpsters and piles of pallets.

Before he could raise his fist to bang a door again, a deep voice of a man addressed him from behind, right behind his nape.

“Hold on – I'll open.” And while Naruto mentally cursed himself not to be able to notice a second guy hidden somewhere around the dumpsters, the man stepped aside, used a key and gestured Naruto inside. He looked more like a regular thug: he wore a black suit, black shirt without necktie, and perfectly round-shaped black shades which entirely hid his eyes from view. His dark hair was cut so short that it reminded Naruto of fresh-cut grass.

After Naruto entered the establishment, he had to navigate through a tight hall packed with storage boxes and a passage door before reaching the actual gym area, a room not much bigger than a service garage. The middle of the space was left empty, the floor covered by old wooden planks similarly to dojos, and the center ring was surrounded by all kinds of gym stuff piled up, arranged into towers, like a cluttered labyrinth of weight racks, spin bikes, almost all of them covered neatly with see-through nylon sheets. Punching bags and training dummies for taijutsu, dozens of basketballs hanging from the ceiling and the walls, collected into lightweight netted ball bags.

The whole storage room had the usual smell of dust, the old wood, that fading calligraphy ink fragrance that sometimes lingered inside old places, and one other thing that Naruto was able to smell: a faint scent of male sweating, the scent you could sense at frequented cheap gyms. This storage room was used for exercise, or training – and regularly.

Naruto could see two men inside; one lean and athletic with his back to Naruto, adeptly wrapping his own hand and wrist with bandage as if preparing for fight, dressed in loose sweatpants and t-shirt, wearing a blue headband tied around his head to keep his dark hair off his face. The other pale guy, who had opened the front door before, was sitting cross-legged on a step bench, the hilt of a dagger or shortsword holstered on his back was just visible behind his head. He held a smartphone.

“...yeah, fuck it, exactly.” he just said in a soft tone to the other. “”You download the app and it gives you a mouse and a hawk, then you can just send them forward to do the scouting. The hawk uses the coordinates of ...”

They both glanced up when Naruto stopped a few steps away from them. Framed by raven-feather-like hair bangs, a very familiar face was staring at Naruto's, with suspiciously narrowed eyes.

“Hey. I've seen you before.” he stated, not in a complimentary tone.

“Damn.” Naruto sighed, seeing the well-known face for the second time within few days. “So YOU are Uchiha Sasuke. I should have known.”

“Just like the other day at the Iwasaki's. I can see that manners is not your strong suit.” Sasuke's tone sounded cold first, but forced himself to warm it to neutral. “On the other hand, it's not good manners that I want to hire. Are you the relative of Tsunade from the Senju?”

“Yeah. I'm Uzumaki Naruto.” then he reluctantly added the expected polite phrase: “Please treat me well.” and bowed slightly.

Sasuke glanced at his palm and fingers as he quickly and gently resumed wrapping them with the white bandage strip. “I need someone who knows how to protect me, my personal team and himself. Someone skilled in taijutsu. Sai is quite good in kenjutsu” and he nodded for the direction of the pale boy who rested patiently and was watching Naruto, “and Shino has other very useful skills” and he gestured for the second guard who let Naruto in before, now leaning against the wall by the exit door, with a blank expression “but I want someone who is well-prepared for cases when no weapons and no gadgets can be used.”

He finished the wrapping and fixed the end of the strip on his wrist. “Tsunade told me you have been taught in the best martial schools. Also you spent six months in a monastery.” He routinely clenched his fists, clasping then unclasping a few times. “Impressive. Not many do these things anymore. And you haven't worked for any clan yet?”

“Look...” started Naruto, puzzled and hesitating, as he absently rubbed his nape. “I'm basically here for the sake of granny Tsunade whom I promised to come... and I don't think I'm the right person for you. If you want someone to, you know, to break a leg or cut a finger off, because, I dunno, someone owns you, or late with the payment, or some shit like this, I'm not the guy who does it, okay?”

Sasuke was observing him motionless then it seemed as if the corner of his mouth curled into a faint shadow of a smirk.

“Generally things don't go so far that it would be necessary.” he said. “Even if they do, I wouldn't waste your skills on butchery. I have other men for that. You would be a member of my personal team, with Sai and Shino. You would have to do the same job as for the Senju Agency: to protect me – except that it would become a standing order.”

Naruto didn't look more enthusiastic, but didn't object either.

“You wouldn't have to contact civilians at all.” Sasuke went on. “At any case you have to make a contact, they will be pros – exactly the type of opponents you learned about.” He secured the knot of his headband and was finally standing there openly, showing both his bandaged palms for Naruto, as if he was ready to train. “Shall we begin, or do you leave?”

“Begin what?”

“I want to see what you can do. If you can't defeat me, and I win, as a lost bet you have to quit the Senju and sign a contract for my company for a year – on my own terms.”

“Huh. And if I win?”

Sasuke shrugged. “It's your choice what you ask for.”

 

… _Shuriken Dojo... Palms resting gently on thighs, feet pressed flat into the tatami mats... the new boy by the lower door, dressed in training garb, subordinates behind him... handsome face, trim figure, hair like feathers of a crow... „Sasuke wins!”.... “What? you want a piece of me again?...”_

 

Naruto slowly lifted the strap of his side bag over his head and placed the bag on the floor, out of their way. He adjusted his cargo pants a bit, touching his pockets with a quick slide as if checking something was there.

Then he took a stance and fixed his eyes on the young arrogant clan guy. Sasuke rewarded his gesture with a smirk.

The next moment the blond leaped aiming for Sasuke's side, something flashed in his fist and he landed on one knee, with a _kunai_ knife in hand. The blade clanged loud against another metal.

Where Sasuke was standing a second ago, now Sai was gazing at Naruto, pressing a shortsword against Naruto's knife. Sasuke simply just had been stepped back and waited.

“What?!” Naruto rose off his knee and looked at Sasuke, pointing a finger of accusation at him. “You are cheating. It's not fair!”

“What kind of fair are you talking about, idiot?!” replied Sasuke sharp and slightly angered. “You think if you're up against a target, he won't have his men to back him up? Look around, moron. You're not in the dojo.”

Something flared up in Naruto's eyes that changed the peaceful blue into a dangerously swirling sea in a storm. It was clear for the others though, that he schooled himself quickly to cool down – he slid his _kunai_ back to his side pocket, calmly stepped back taking his starter position again, and slowly ran a glance over the place. Sai sheathed his blade but didn't move away; Shino had left his lazy position by the wall and now he was pacing closer, curiously observing Naruto's movements from behind his shades.

Suddenly, instead of straight attack, Naruto  turned in the opposite direction, a leap upward, a clomp on the top of a stack, a flash of the  _kunai_ , and  a dozen basketballs escaped from the cut netting, bouncing across the air to all directions.  He slapped the last one to send it toward Sai who  instinctively blocked it and retreated, just as Shino did, defending himself from the unleashed balls.

The basketballs collided in midair, some of them hit Sasuke's two guards, then all fell bouncing to the floor. Naruto was nowhere in sight.

Sasuke quickly glanced at Shino, who slowly raised a hand above his head and waved a finger pointing to the direction of a stacked tower of step benches. They seemed to overhear a faint sound - maybe like a rupture - from behind the stacks and boxes, and Shino's pointing finger changed its direction a bit.

Sasuke nodded, adjusted his stance, and seconds passed in deep silence.

Then suddenly a weight rack struck the floor with a loud clang which was followed by a number of smaller tinkling sounds of hand weights rolling around; Sasuke spun, and Naruto swung at him with a large piece of nylon sheet in hand. Before he even realized what happened Sasuke was blinded and covered by the see-through sheet thrown at him; he staggered back and would have been unable to dodge Naruto's next blow if Sai didn't spring between them, blocking Naruto and retaliating with a roundhouse kick.

Naruto however was catching the kick, he grabbed Sai's ankle under his elbow tight, he swept Sai away with kicking his other leg from under him, and Sai was sent down to the floor. Naruto immediately turned against Sasuke who was already free from the sheet and stood there preparing, raising bandaged fists ready by the level of his shoulders.

“What? Aren't you attacking?” Naruto asked, panting lightly.

“I said so: I want to see what you can do.” Sasuke replied, with a hint of amusement. “Come on. Is that all you have?”

Shino made a move in the background as if he wanted to draw near, but noticing it from the corner of his eye, Sasuke made him stop with a wave. Sai, a few steps away from them, kept crouching motionless.

Naruto's hands clenched and, eyes fixed on his opponent's torso, launched at him, but when Sasuke reached an arm to knock away his blow, Naruto caught his wrist, twisted it, wrenched it backwards, both of them spun around, they slammed back to back as they were circling like in a dance as they tried to dodge. Sasuke yelled and unable to free his wrist, he elbowed into Naruto's lower back with the other arm – Naruto cried out and released Sasuke.

They quickly turned face to face again, the blond with a triple blow aiming Sasuke's head now, but the Uchiha ducked each blow just as fast as they were coming, then he slid lower, grabbed Naruto's thighs with both hands behind his knees and tugged him hard.

The floor smashed into Naruto's back as he toppled backward; he found himself again pinned down by the Uchiha's knees and palms. A pair of dark-colored eyes was staring at him again, just like twelve years ago. “Fuck...” - Naruto was panting as he tried to catch his breath and endure the sharp pain in his back.

“I give you my attorney's business card.” said Sasuke. His tone also sounded more choked than ususal. “Call her tomorrow and fix a meeting at her to sign the papers. And quit the Senju. You'll have no time for them any more.”

“Huh, really? just tell me one thing... Why on earth want to hire me if I can't even defeat you?”

Sasuke slowly rose to his feet, stretching his frame. He glanced back to Naruto as he was still lying on his back. “You kidding, right?” He looked like he forced himself not to smile. “I liked the basketball part most.” He observed Naruto curiously as he finally decided to stand up and dusted his garb. Shino and Sai retreated to a respectful distance when the fight ended, and now they silently considered the defeated blond's frame.

“May I ask what you would have asked of me if you won?” asked Sasuke, readjusting his headband and his stray locks of hair.

“Well... I guess... maybe to pay me a course at your best master? the one whom you learned the most from?”

“Hn. I wouldn't have been able to comply.” Sasuke shook his head.

“Why not? Dead already?”

“No, he's still alive.” replied Sasuke with such a weird tone as if he wanted to imply that the trainer mentioned had not much time left to be alive. “We just don't communicate. He is my brother.”

 


	5. War Fan Made of Steel and Iron

_Tokyo Branch HQ, Shimura Danzou's Office - Shinjuku, Tokyo_

 - “Certainly it was unexpected and unfortunate that it had to happen in front of all the council members. Both Sister Koharu and the Hyuuga were shocked to witness such a rift existing between the brothers in the Uchiha clan. They both, I assure you, were interested in your plans, Sasuke, and would have keenly backed you if Itachi had not... Well yes, you know the Hoshigaki. If Itachi suggested that each of us had to jump into a well, Kisame would be the first to jump. He follows Itachi like a sheepdog.”

Shimura Danzou paused, holding his smartphone by his ear. Only the glass of his office window separated him from the darkness of the evening and the drizzling rain outside.

“No, Sasuke, none of them. Itachi threatened them with the chance of becoming blacklisted, moreover, with the very likely disapproval of our corporate partners. I suppose he wants to keep his position in the Asano Group even if he has to sacrifice the chance to expand his clan's...”

As he was standing by the window watching the raindrops slowly dripping along the glass, he could see his own tired and sharp-edged face reflected softly. His reflection was blurry and got quickly messed up by the whimsical rivulets of raindrops gathered.

“... I know what you mean, Sasuke. You know that you can count on me. But Itachi, unfortunately, gave us no other choice. Certainly you wouldn't ever go against your clan's decision...?”

The next pause was maybe a bit longer this time. No sound even from the other end of the line. Danzou was waiting for the reply, his look rested on the flashing LED billboards outside on the surrounding high-rises. The colors of the dancing advertisements and the newsflash broadcasts painted the rainy night red and green.

Eventually Danzou could react to Sasuke's response. “Yes, I understand. I can agree with that. It's best to settle these things inside the family. I'm honestly sorry for what happened. I really don't understand Itachi's agenda. He went so far that even expressed doubts about your competence.”

The heavier raindrops on the glass ran into each other, gathered as if smaller creeks met at the foot of the mountain, and rushed down together, turning into a river.

“... No, I have no objections against that. Please send me some feedback, Sasuke, after it's done. And once again, let me say thank you. I'm impressed by the potential you mean to us.”

They closed the conversation and Danzou's smartphone was placed on the desk. The elder man was still watching the wildly dancing LED colors on the shiny black sky for a moment before he grabbed his umbrella, phone and briefcase to leave.

* * *

_Driving to Asakusa, Tokyo – Neko Granny's Blades and Knives Claw Store_

As soon as Uzumaki Naruto walked out of the office building, he noticed the car – it was hard to miss. The younger Uchiha's white Escalade, like a sizeable silver shark, snarling with all his hungry chrome teeth, was parking by the curb right in front of the building, dominating the streetview, much to the dismay of that white-gloved traffic cop who stood nearby. Both the doors facing the building were open, so Naruto could see Sasuke lounging in the back with tablet in hand, and also Sai, twisted on the front seat riding shotgun. His legs were hanging out of the car, touching the sidewalk.

“Oi, teme.” Sai addressed him. “Hop in.”

Naruto shrugged and without any haste, he jammed himself into the car next to Sasuke; he didn't slam the door yet when the engine already spun up and the vehicle smoothly swam into the traffic.

“So... I didn't know we'd meet today. How come, have you put a tracker on me?” Naruto began, playfully checking out quickly his armpits and pockets.

“Tch. I knew about your meeting with Karin. Have you signed the papers?” Sasuke's tone this time was not the dull and matter-of-factly one that Naruto already knew, but sounded more bitter and dry. Naruto had to glance directly into Sasuke's eyes to figure out if the Uchiha was pissed off, but the dark eyes remained cold and unreadable.

“Yeah, I have. This attorney of yours, wow, she seemed quite uptight the whole time. What's this Uchiha Consulting thing that I signed up for, anyway?”

“That's my cover business. You've got schooled about the legal stuff, right? What you can do, what you can't, what to say to a cop, no firearms ever, not even CARRYING, not even FUCKING with it.”

Naruto's expression grew serious as he realized that it wasn't only that red-head attorney being uptight today – Sasuke was apparently pissed off. “Yes, I've been schooled.” he held Sasuke's gaze. “I have. So can you tell me what's going on?”

“Oh never mind – Sasuke's sulking today.” Sai turned around in his seat to stare into Naruto's face, with a smile that was polite and creepy at the same time. “Usually it's Shino who sulks” - and he nodded at the driver behind the wheel who kept silent so far, - “so it's nice for a change that Sasuke took over today.”

Shino reacted with a sudden change of lanes and speeded up, so Sai had to grab the seatback to keep his balance. “Sasuke would never tell you anyway when he's chewing on something. Is it a real blond or a dye?” he asked softly, changing the subject suddenly, and he reached for Naruto's hair.

Naruto was caught off-guard by the question but still his hand managed to slap away Sai's. “Hey – don't touch me! Of course it's real.”

“Ah. So the rug matches the drapes.” Sai smiled innocently.

“Sai!” they heard Sasuke's warning tone to interrupt. “Can you try not to be vulgar and match your sizes for about... the first hour?”

With a discontented sigh, Sai let himself flop back down on his thickly padded pilot chair. “Yeah, it can't be helped... he is sulking.” he said to Shino.

Their car passed under the concrete rollercoaster system of overpasses and pedestrian bridges, then a series of underpass tunnels sucked them in, just to spit them out on the other end when they approached the old districts of the _shitamachi_. The streets started to become narrower.

“Where do you wanna go first, Sasuke?” Shino's round black shades were staring at the Uchiha through the rearview mirror.

“Let's start at the Neko Granny's.” Sasuke replied. “I want to introduce Naruto.” He turned his tablet off with a bland expression and he was just watching the buzz of road traffic around them.

Sai turned around in his seat. “The Neko Granny's? Naruto'll get some gear then, huh? That kunai of yours was pretty handy the other day but for sure we can show you a better time at the Claw Store. Maybe a length that you can actually reach your opponent with...?”

“Fuck off.” Naruto flirted back.

“The Neko Granny...? I can't recall where that was. Have I ever been there anyway?” It was the first time Naruto heard Shino saying more than two words at once.

“Of course you were” Sai retorted. “That was the store you stepped on a cat because you thought it was a plush toy, remember?”

“Impossible. I can see the difference between a toy cat and a real one.”

“Yeah, sure you can, but the store was full of cats, fake and real, hundreds of them, one as good as the other, and when you stepped on a real one, and it squawked, the Neko Granny snapped and banned you from...”

“It was Sasuke who banned me from the store. And it looked exactly like a plush toy.” replied Shino.

“Yappari...” Sai sighed. “Just park the usual place. It's not far from there.”

 

* * *

“From here we walk.” stated Sasuke when the car got parked on an old open-air garage lot, cramped between rundown pre-war houses with blind opaque windows upstairs and tiny old street front shops downstairs. The flashy vehicle in this environment looked like it was stolen and holed up there by some punks.

The statement was mostly addressed to Naruto though because the two other boys got out of the car and followed Sasuke with a routine. One of them even waved a raised hand to a man who was stranded by the street corner, looking like he just had drifted there by chance. In spite of that, he nodded back and without any obviousness he began to keep an eye on the Uchiha car.

As they were heading through the abandoned alleys, approaching the noisier, more frequented streets, Naruto noticed several other men like that on the way: figures drifting undecidedly, alone, usually by the corners, some of them looking like waiting for someone, others smoking a cigarette, or like tourists just trying to find their way out of the labyrinth of Asakusa side alleys, back-sack on their shoulder. And although most of them looked a bit lost, the moment when they noticed Sasuke and his companions, they greeted him in a hardly noticeable manner, even with just an adjustment of their sunglasses, or the way how they flicked the cigarette ash away. Sasuke glanced at them, but didn't show any sign of knowing them.

“You mean that...?” Naruto started to ask a question but only one look by Sasuke silenced him.

On the other hand, Sasuke didn't intend to blend with the crowd; dressed in his immaculate white dress shirt and dark suit, he even nodded a greet sometimes to shopkeepers who worked behind counters clearly seen through open store windows, or to rickshaw drivers who gathered in groups waiting for passengers. None of them looked very pleased to see Sasuke and their gaze swept past him quickly, but surely they knew who he was.

“Sasuke's a show off. And an old-school, like a gramps.” Sai murmured to Naruto while glancing left and right. “He likes to be seen. And he fancies to learn all the faces. Prepare yourself for long walks in the district.”

Eventually Sasuke stopped in front of a store with several types of kitchen knives in its windows; the sign - above the many other smaller signs - was read: _Nekomata Blades and Knives Claw Store_. The store front was over-decorated with cat illustrations; from old-fashioned traditional wall hanging prints about a cat-headed deity dressed in kimono, to the most modern anime-style cat posters.

Sasuke turned and looked at Shino and Sai. “Naruto comes in with me. You two stay outside.”

Shino, looking guilty as charged, nodded.

“What kind of store is this?” asked Naruto; it wasn't the kitchen knives that really confused him, but the overwhelming amount of cat displays.

“It's a munition supply store for my family.” answered Sasuke evidently. “I introduce you to Neko Granny. Be respectful with her. … And watch your step around her pets.”

 

* * *

The interior was like a magical candy store for children who wanted to play with toy swords: katana, wakizashi and kunai replicas displayed on the walls around; artistic pieces but still obviously replicas. Inside the glass counters, next to the more ordinary kitchen knife sets, resting on patterned silk, countless types of shuriken replicas: stars, pinwheels, all made of metal but clearly not real weapons.

That grey cat was, though, real, which out of nowhere, softly leapt upon the shelf right next to Naruto's head as they entered, her tail up tall, and she regarded the newcomers silently and cautiously.

“If it isn't Uchiha the kid Sasuke – welcome to my store. Long time no see, eh, Sasuke-kun?”

The elderly woman who emerged from the back could have been anywhere between 60 or 80 years old, with a round face, small and snub nose and messy long grayish hair more or less successfully tied back by a thin headband and several colorful hair clips. She was accompanied by two more cats, spiralling around her ankles.

Sasuke bowed lightly, and greeted her with an unexpected slight warmness in his voice most unlike his usual manner. “Not such a long time I hope, Granny. I've checked on a week ago.”

“Nah, you always leave so quickly and you've got so much on your mind about business, I can't even look at you properly.” The neko granny stood before him and regarded him just like the cat. “You're pale and you don't sleep much. You let some bastards bother you, don't you? Whoever they are, teach them a lesson, son, and get some sleep.”

“I'm working on it, Granny.” answered Sasuke without any irony in his tone; he took an exhausted, serious glance at her while she considered him with pinched-down mouth corners as if she wasn't entirely satisfied with the Uchiha.

“Hmn. I have known both of you since you were both little.” she lowered her voice. “I never expected things like that, going after each other...” But seeing Sasuke's features hardening by the last words, she stopped and quickly, encouragingly reached for Sasuke's cheek and gently pinched it. Sasuke, a bit uneasy though but tolerated it – maybe he was used to it since childhood. The old lady's gaze then wandered over Naruto, who stood a step far from Sasuke, his blue eyes wide open glued at the unbelievable sight of an Uchiha clan guy's cheek pinched.

“And who is this little orange tabby tomcat you have brought with you? I haven't met him before.”

“Let me introduce you Naruto, a new member of my team. This is his first day with me, so please, bear with him.” Sasuke respectfully bowed and Naruto knew that he had to, the same way, simultaneously. “Also I would like to open a tab for him, too. It's the same Uchiha clan supply account.”

“Very well then. So you can play with blades as well, Naruto-kun?” the old lady's gaze pierced sharply on Naruto. “I can guarantee my store can gear you up to your satisfaction.”

The blond looked around him. “Umm, right, but, all I can see are toy weapons here...”

“Oh, yes, of course, they are for the tourists and cosplayers.” she nodded. “The real stock is in the back. It's not for everyone.”

She gestured them to follow her to the entrance of the back room, a step higher level than the store floor – it was obvious that hey had to get rid of their shoes. The cats got bored with the visitors quickly and all lay sprawled on the platform level, as close to the walking route of the humans as possible.

“I have a special stock for the Uchiha family for decades” she resumed. “My mother already sold swords for the previous Uchiha clan head here in this very shop when I was a little girl.”

Naruto and Sasuke slowly followed her, feet in socks on the creaky wooden floor, as she opened a solid security door with a key.

“Countless times in my life I attended the illustrious customers from this clan, Sasuke's father, the current clan leader among them. And his sons sometimes came along with him and played with my cats here when they were kids - I literally saw this brat growing up, didn't I, Sasuke…?” and she let them enter a window-less showroom furnished in a similar way than the front store – but this one, this displayed the real thing. Naruto gasped as soon as he first noticed the weapon racks on the walls and on the counters.

The neko granny took a satisfied glance on her merchandise. About half of the stock consisted of newly crafted, shiny hand-forged blades, full _daisho_ sets, with more efforts on the practical side with less decoration; the other half of stock, displayed in old carved weapon cabinets, was the collection of probable antiques, worn shuriken pieces with almost greyed steel, aged smaller daggers. Many of these weapons carried a tiny clan symbol on the hilt: a stylized red-and-white _uchiwa_ fan.

“This store has a history of generations who paid their cut to the generations of the Uchiha clan: either in steel or cash. Do you know that this part of the town belonged to the Uchihas since I or my late mother can remember? Just so you know whom you serve.” and she pouted her lips again while considering Naruto, as if not being sure that he was worthy to enter this sanctuary. “There. Look around and consider what you want to order for yourself. If you need anything, call for Tamaki-chan, my assistant.” and she strutted out of the showroom, leaving the two boys behind, giving Naruto time to get acquainted with the treasures.

“It's so cool... I've never seen weapons like this before in a shop – rather in a museum. What is this?!” Naruto asked Sasuke while stood before the old painted weapon cabinet. Resting on sheen silk, he saw an opened folding fan, its leaves with the delicacy of iron lace, its sticks with the merciless look of steel blades.

“It's a war fan. It was used in the 18th century, if I'm not wrong.” His smug tone while saying that clearly hinted about mighty warrior Uchiha ancestors who had been fighting then with this very weapon. “Since then, not so much; not a very practical tool.” His look rested on Naruto's face a bit. “Would you like to try?” and he reached for the graceful weapon. Since Naruto nodded, he generously offered it.

Naruto slowly closed then opened the heavy fan like a practicing geisha-apprentice. The war fan opened and showed its remarkable steel knife tips. “Wow, the stick tips have the shape of shuriken blades, so maybe you can throw them... like this...” and he grabbed the tool and without thinking it, took a stance for shuriken throwing. “I dunno... But it also looks like a melee weapon for short range... like this?” and held the fan with spread fingers as if it was a bunch of kunai.

Sasuke seemed to appreciate Naruto's interest.

“Supposedly yes,” he said, “they were crafted both for melee and medium-ranged. Although I can't imagine how you would throw a fan. For melee, sure, hold it as if the sticks are your own extended fingers – like feline claws...” he stepped closer to Naruto, and from behind his back, he gripped Naruto's hand with the weapon in it, and with the help of his own fingers, he adjusted Naruto's fingers to spread properly, “... and try cutting with it...”

Sasuke's arm moved as he pretended to lunge, and Naruto's arm moved with his together, his hand trapped in Sasuke's; their shoulders bumped and their arms were pressed on each other for a moment as Sasuke made a horizontal cut to the air. They both felt that the other wanted to make the move a bit differently; that made them stop, and with some awkwardness they looked at each other. Sasuke suppressed a puzzled smile.

“... or maybe you tell me.” he said. He slowly released Naruto's hand.

Naruto, slightly taken aback, put the weapon back on the display. He looked unprepared for the sudden casualness from his new boss' part, but didn't seem to mind it.

The Uchiha's voice, on the other hand, smoothly slipped back into his upper hand business tone. “We should move along. I must check on plenty other shopkeepers nearby. I want you to get to know most of them today.” He glanced at Naruto when they left the showroom. “… Just tell me you won't order a war fan.”

“Nah – I don't even use shuriken. But, now that you talking, you know... may I get a _tanto_ like Sai has...?”

* * *

 

_Ozone Club – Private Nightclub Venue - Shibuya, Tokyo_

Bluish soft gleam of a smartphone screen. Handed over quickly at the service entrance, and began its way towards the glass elevator of Floor 1; held by a fist of a thug, it passed along the foyer, crossed the area behind the main bar – like a tiny source of light of a firefly, against the blackness of a nightclub, dotted by the azure and violet lightning flashes of neon and LED.

The smartphone entered the elevator and it began to rise; the dance floor area of F1, surging with the party crowd, could be seen through the glass even from the F2 cocktail bar lounge level, or also from the F3 karaoke rooms level. A group of patrons in elevated mood wanted to enter at F2, salarymen with their neckties around their forehead, hugged by their party chicks; the thug who held the smartphone waved a definite _No_ to them, so the smartphone could travel further up without any added company.

At F4 – which was read as “VIP rooms” by the elevator buttons – the smartphone left the elevator and arrived at a door with only a number on it; fingers knocked loud, and the door opened just barely.

The hand which held the phone so far, now slipped it into the crack; someone on the other side took it, and the door was closed again.

The smartphone screen now gleamed in a darkened room most probably furnished as a private karaoke room, although the machine and the speakers were turned off. Along the walls, a sizeable ring of velvety and deep sectional sofas, surrounding a low table in the middle, which was covered by a mess of wine glasses, empty beer bottles, dirty trays with scattered yakitori sticks, and also with cigarette packs, lighters, burned aluminium foils. The room wasn't huge, but the ceiling was illuminated by a starlight effect, looking like the night sky, and the walls were decorated by cold azure and violet-colored neon tube zigzags; it all gave the impression that there were no walls and the darkness around the room was limitless.

The phone with the gleaming screen was quickly displayed for one of the guests in the room: Uchiha Itachi was sitting by the edge, his shirt partially unbuttoned, probably by that half-conscious party girl who was lounging behind with an arm around his neck, her other arm sneaking under Itachi's shirt on his chest. Itachi didn't pay much attention though to the girl hung on his back, he took the phone and studied the text message that was addressed to him:

“ _Sasuke by the service door. +3 Wants to talk,_ _personal._ _Can he come up?”_

Another face appeared very close to Itachi's, peering into the message as well.

“Your little brother found you, huh?” Kisame said, ethereal fume rose from his mouth as he opened it to talk. “It seems he got the word from Danzou. I guess he doesn't respond well. You let him in?”

“ _He can. +1 Let them carry what they have_.” Itachi typed instead of replying, then gave back the phone to the man who took it, bowed, opened the door again and handed it over to the one who was waiting outside for the reply.

“I've always suspected you have a death wish. What if he comes with katana in hand to chop you?”

“No, Sasuke would never act on impulse.” answered Itachi. ”He prefers an elaborate plan. Also he enjoys to prepare, for days, for weeks, quite a sadistic fetish of his.”

Kisame looked amused. “So how do you know how many days or weeks are left for you?”

“I don't.” Itachi stared at the ceiling that looked like a starry night sky. “Sasuke may have plans but doesn't have patterns. That's why he is so entertaining.”

They looked at each other, Itachi with a faint smile, Kisame with a wider and wider grin. Both of them looked like having a decent amount of fun.

 


	6. You have been gathered to help me kill my brother

_Ozone Club – Private Nightclub Venue - Shibuya, Tokyo_

 

Uchiha Sasuke had to wait a few seconds until his eyes became adjusted to the darkness of the VIP room. The den was bathed in ice blue and violet by the decorative neon grid; it painted the faces and made them hardly recognizable. Kisame's spiky hair looked even more blue than usual; Itachi's dazed black eyes glowed a deep sapphire color as his gaze met his younger brother’s.

Sasuke entered with one follower only, a youngster with blond hair, but he stayed back by the door, like an irrelevant shadow. With a quick glance though, the blond considered the others in the room: the two young wasted men lounging on the other side of the sofa ring, one of them having a dog collar around his neck with a long chain hanging from it; the two hostesses in glittery mini dresses, one of them sitting on the floor by the table, the other fatuously hanging on the neck of that man who looked hauntingly like an older version of Sasuke.

Sasuke took a disdainful glance at the group.

“I hate to bother you when you indulge, but I wanted to hear it straight from you.” Sasuke started, skipping the greetings.

The two guys in the other corner gazed up at the shape of the newcomer young man, with an instinctive appreciation and curiosity. Kisame parted a glass of drink from his lips and put it down on the messy surface of the middle table.

“Hey, Sasuke. Come and have a beer with us, kid. I have the impression you need it – you look tense. Doesn’t he look tense?” he asked Itachi next to him. “He doesn’t seem to be someone qualified as a sadist to me, on the other hand.”

“Tch. One sadist is more than enough for a family.” Sasuke replied with a knowing look rested on his brother. Itachi slowly took the hostess girl’s wrist and gently removed her from his back; the woozy girl lolled back on the cushions as if about to fall asleep at once. Itachi himself didn’t look entirely awake either; he took a slow glazed glance at his brother.

“Is it true that you convinced our father, then the whole clan, and then the board of alliance to reject my plans, entirely ruining my months of work, and totally discrediting me in front of the allied clan leaders?” the younger Uchiha raised the question.

Itachi wasn’t bothered by the commanding tone at all. “I'm certain that Shimura Danzou precisely informed you about everything.” he said. “And before you ask, yes, I also expressed my doubts about your personal competence.”

Faintly some drunken sniggers were heard from the direction of Kisame’s guests.

“Being cheeky when we were kids, and teasing me after defeating me in stupid contests is one thing, but this latest gambit of yours, is unacceptable.” Sasuke responded sternly. “If you openly declare yourself as my enemy, I'm up for it, and you surely know what it means.”

Itachi replied as calmly as if he had expected exactly what he heard: “I'm sorry Sasuke – it's not you who decide what's acceptable. Right now, I’m the one who represents the clan inside the council and it’s me who votes in the name of the Uchiha. When the day comes that our father assigns you to do so instead of me, you can do what you damn well please. Until that day, learn to accept the decisions.”

It took a few minutes of cold silence that Sasuke distilled what he heard. “It's settled then.” he stated, still with a bit of disbelief.

Itachi nodded, as if confirming an agreement. “You're welcome. However, there is a favor I’d like to ask.” He rolled his signet ring around his finger thoughtfully. “Leave our parents out of this. I would appreciate if it stayed between you and me.”

“That's exactly what I wanted to ask, as well.” Sasuke replied after a pause.

“I have to go back to Osaka with Kisame tomorrow to tie some loose ends.” Itachi went on. “I won't be back until next Saturday. You might recall that we are expected for dinner at home that evening.”

“Yes, understood.” Sasuke nodded. He waited for another moment if Itachi had anything other to add, but since his brother seemed to regard the conversation as closed, Sasuke made a move implying to leave.

But Kisame rose from his place by the side of Itachi now and when Sasuke turned for the door to leave, he grabbed his elbow to make him stop. “Hey, kid...” His voice almost sounded friendly. “I’ve had nothing personal against you, so far” and he pushed his formidable face closer against Sasuke’s “… but if you go after your brother, you’ll find me as well.” And with a suave grin, he flashed his short pointed teeth into Sasuke's face.

Before the younger Uchiha could reply a word, a shadow stirred in the background and the silent blond companion of Sasuke appeared by their side. He didn't exactly stepped between the two, but certainly he invaded Kisame's personal space as a warning.

Kisame released Sasuke's elbow and let him step back; Sasuke's only response to him was a smug, expectant smirk before he left the room with his bodyguard.

* * *

 

The sight that made them suddenly raise heads was the hasty pair of Sasuke and Naruto pushing their way through the crowd in front of the Ozone Club. They were approaching from the front entrance door, not the service door in the back alley. Shino was smoking right next to the car with Sai sitting inside, but even Sai could overhear Naruto yelling.

“Let's get the fuck out of here! Shino! Right now!”

“What?!” Sai opened the door by his side ready to face any action, but stopped when Sasuke and Naruto jumped in the car and took the back seats.

“Get moving! The fuck are you waiting for!” Naruto slammed the door shut as he yelled, but Shino already lunged behind the wheel and stomped the accelerator pedal to roar away. Randomly he took a left turn and drove rapidly along the road leading toward Sangen-jaya.

“The fuck happened? You two clipped someone?” Sai stared at them with aroused curiosity. He even checked their clothes – as if looking for blood stains.

“I wish. We officially declared war against Sasuke's brother. Oh shit. At least I think that was him.” Naruto groaned. Sasuke didn't say a word, but the way he stared back at Sai, he kind of confirmed.

“Yappari. I've been expecting something like this for a while, considering.” Sai replied with a melodic tone.

“Knock it off, Sai! Just keep your eye on the road and check for tails!” Naruto grumbled.

“But really – what happened up there?” Shino asked. “Did Sasuke insult Itachi?”

Naruto glimpsed at Sasuke waiting for him to respond, but Sasuke just took his smartphone and quickly began to tap his contact list.

“Nah, I would say... rather the contrary... or whatever. Who was that blue-haired creeps though who threatened you in the end?”

Sasuke raised his phone to his ear, expecting someone to answer.

“Blue hair and creepy face? Geez, you've had the honor to meet the Hoshigaki clan head: Hoshigaki “the Shark” Kisame.” said Sai. “They say that he likes to chop from the bottom upwards, starting with the toes.”

“So it means...” Shino added with a lower, calculating tone, “that not only half of the Uchiha clan is after us, but the whole Hoshigaki clan _as well_ …?”

“Oh shit.” Sai agreed, though somehow he didn't look deeply worried.

“Slow down, Sai, Naruto.” Sasuke spoke at last, still holding his phone. “No one is after us at the moment. Shino, drive to Shinjuku. - Hey, Karin. I've called you three times, the hell are you doing? … Hn. Can you open your office for me? I need a quiet place to talk to my men privately. … No, you don't have to stay with us, you can go back to the bar, it's fine. … We'll be there in five.”

“Karin's office.” Sasuke stated after a pause, although Shino already took the direction. Sai turned in his seat and fixed his eyes on Naruto's for a moment, but they fell silent for the rest of the drive.

* * *

 

_Office of Morikawa Karin, Attorney At Law – Shinjuku, Tokyo_

 

“You sure you don't need me to stay?”

“Sure, it's fine. It's better if you don't hear this.”

“Okay...” The young red-head attorney answered undecidedly. Still she looked up at Uchiha Sasuke through her black-rimmed glasses, frowning with obvious hope that she could stay in his company. It was almost midnight already, but she was still wearing her tight business suit and uncomfortable pumps, as she had been summoned back to her office from a nearby _izakaya_. She didn't seem to mind it though, and she let them in to her office space in mingled eagerness and nervousness.

But Sasuke looked to be dismissive without mercy. “Thank you, Karin. Shino will bring your keys back to the bar.”

The attorney sighed and cast her look around, searching the faces around her conference table. Sasuke's three men, young guys, obviously pale, rumpled and tired, were sitting around. She had met all of them before when she presented the paperwork for them to sign in this very place. Maybe this idea comforted her a little; she adjusted her glasses and gathered her handbag and attaché case.

“I go home now, not to the bar.” she said and looked at Shino. “Give me a buzz when you finished.” and she disappeared in the darkness of the hall.

Sasuke waited as long as he was sure they were alone, then took a seat and switched off his smartphone, placing it with blank screen up in front of him. When he began to speak, he sounded calm and factual.

“You have been recruited and gathered to help me to kill my brother, Uchiha Itachi. My goal is to take over and rebuild my clan after my father retires. I won't go into details, why it is impossible to get along, me and Itachi, so, at the moment, you have no other choice than to accept that it is necessary.”

Three pairs of eyes were staring back at him; Shino's with knowing discipline, Sai's with cold consideration, and Naruto's with barely veiled anxiety.

“The way things are, it has become inevitable. If I don't act quickly, sooner or later he will, and I'm done for. So, you can take it as self-defense, sort of. Also you must take it as personal: it's not a turf war, we are each other's only target. And because of that, I don't expect you to fight him whatsoever. That'll be my job. But I expect you to protect me – as you have done – from his men, and help my plan to infiltrate into any place where I can meet him face to face, and alone.”

After a pause, it was Naruto who stirred. “May I ask something?” he put the question intentionally bluntly.

Sasuke nodded.

“How can you be sure about Itachi's agenda? It's your own family... your own clan... isn't it his best interest to keep you alive...”

“What do you think he meant when he said to leave our parents out of this, Naruto?” asked Sasuke in a sharp tone. “You have been there with me. You heard everything.”

Naruto hesitated but didn't reply. The image of a tall man, long loose dark hair in ponytail, dazed eyes pierced on Sasuke, slowly rolling his ring on his finger, flashed between him and the younger Uchiha.

“You are new among us, Naruto, so you don't know shit about him. He is capable of slaughtering a whole village without blinking an eye. Trust me because I know. Also he's a ruthless manipulator. He's capable of methodically ruining me before my parents, my clan, even my own men. He's already working on it. I have my fucking reasons to stop him.”

Naruto looked at Sai and Shino: both looked back at him with unquestionable certainty.

“So, if he's so tough, how can you be sure you can defeat him all alone? Isn't it a suicide mission?” Naruto made another attempt.

Sasuke took a glance at Shino and his features became softer for a moment; Shino glanced back at him, and it was obvious they had the secret of their own.

“I had a similar project some weeks ago. I eliminated someone whom I had to get rid of.” Sasuke replied. “You and Sai haven't been with me yet then, but Shino helped me a great deal. Also Karin and the guys from Asakusa participated a lot. I'm sure I can defeat Itachi – but not without teamwork.”

Silence ensued, and Sasuke slowly and thoughtfully drew a line with his fingertip on the table top. “To do this, I expect you all to get along. It's more than just a job, and you knew this before you signed up if you were not mere idiots. Sai – especially you must stop pissing off the others. You have to do more than get along: you must become a fucking team. If you want to survive, that is.”

* * *

 

_4 days later - Yoyogi Forest – Yoyogi Park, Tokyo_

 

There was a part of the Yoyogi Park in Tokyo which was an unbelievable phenomenon of an overgrown, solid, lush jungle of trees and shrubs, casting shadows on the twisting paths under, making the wanderer feel lost in the woods in the middle of a metropolis – indeed this area had the name of Yoyogi Forest. If one strayed away from the frequented site of the Meiji Shrine, soon they found themselves following an abandoned forest track which met another, then another, until the wanderer absolutely lost their orientation. The hundred-year old trees here grew high; as high as the high-rises just miles away in Harajuku, the nearby neighborhood.

Maybe it wasn't the most sane idea by Sasuke to go jogging there that morning.

His calendar schedule had gone to hell by that day, anyway. Since the night when he declared blood feud against Itachi, his whole daily routine collapsed and was replaced by a hardly pursuable chaos. He quit all his previous customs. He broke up with his favorite restaurants and bars; he visited his turf and arranged his meetings much more randomly than before. Naruto and the others had to start each day with deleting everything from Sasuke's calendar that was previously fixed, and start all over the whole damned thing. He rearranged his training locations as well, driving his men insane; that morning when Shino and Naruto picked him up he told them to head for Yoyogi Park when Shino was already driving for the Imperial Gardens, as usually on Wednesday mornings.

Yoyogi Forest, after all, seemed a good idea if one wanted to get lost and unnoticed.

The area was really abandoned at a weekday morning like this. Sasuke was running his first loop with Naruto side by side and they met hardly anyone passing by. During the next loop, Naruto lagged a bit. Even Sasuke allowed himself the luxury of just jogging with cleared mind, enjoying the lush green density around him, until the hell of a silence made him stop.

He stood where two forest trails crossed each other, around a slight bend, where the upcoming part of the path was hidden by the thick mess of trees and limbs. Sasuke didn't see Naruto anywhere, and no one else either; the silence was suddenly hollow as if inside a soundproof studio, not in a park.

Somewhere in the forest, not far from the spot Sasuke waited unwaveringly, dozens of bird wings began to flap and flutter abruptly, and the sounds were immediately followed by that typical dry, wood-knocking, rattling kind of cawing that Tokyo crows were so known for.

The younger Uchiha's panting slowed down. He let his eyes slowly wander round but the only living creatures he noticed was the flock of crows above the tree tops as they flicked away and scattered out. They sent their desperate tortured cries to Sasuke as a last warning before they disappeared.

And now he eventually heard something approaching; but the light noise of movement was heard from the thicket, not the jogging trail.

* * *

Naruto hated Sasuke's custom to regularly leave his smartphone for Shino to handle. It wasn't a problem when Sasuke was busy to keep a discussion with a partner and Shino answered the calls; but became a problem when Sasuke whimsically ran into a forest he randomly chose for a jog. For only a minute he left Naruto behind, and Naruto was already nervous at the thought of Sasuke being alone, with nothing in his hands, in his training garb only, and merely two of his men around – Sai had a day off that day.

He stopped to pull his sneaker laces tighter by the side of the forest path, then rising off his crouch he picked his phone and called Sasuke's number anyway.

“Hey, Shino. Can you look around a bit? I can't see Sasuke at the moment.”

“You're already out of stamina to keep up with him?” he heard Shino's deep accusatory tone.

“It's just in case, okay? Take it as practice.”

Shino hung up without reaction, but Naruto knew he wasn't pleased to waste his skills. They were sophisticated and pricey tools after all.

He started to jog again following the route he had done with Sasuke before, hoping to catch the sight of his young boss somewhere along the trail, when he heard the whirring sound that he recognized.

Naruto looked up and his gaze fixed on two small gadgets, briskly flying above the path in the air, like tiny twin birds flying together, or like over-enlarged bees in rapid search for source of honey. The drones stopped for a second to check Naruto as he was jogging below them, then kept moving in haste. Naruto's eyes followed them as they whirred away, keeping in track above the forest path.

“Two minutes...” Naruto murmured, counting, while picked up the speed. He knew that Shino's drones were hardly capable to fly more than four or five minutes. He swerved off the route and crossed the adjacent forest in order to cut the next corner of the path, hoping to overtake the drones and reach Sasuke faster. He tried to perform his best noiseless ninja run.

* * *

Sasuke, swift as lightning, stepped out from behind the tree, grabbed the rapidly incoming stalker and swung him around, smashing him to the tree trunk, pushing his back against the tree while pressing his palm against his face, ready to slam his head to the trunk if he resisted.

But he didn't resist; he raised a hand. “It's me! Sasuke, it's me.” he muttered into Sasuke's palm.

Sasuke released him and and was staring into Naruto's blue eyes.

“The fuck is wrong with you? Where have you been?!” Sasuke looked more relieved than irritated, but he frowned at him anyway.

“Hey, that's my question, bastard! I was looking for you, because, apparently, _someone_ decided to disappear on a whim, without any device on him...”

Sasuke stepped back, and interrupted Naruto. “I've been hiding. I've had a feeling that... someone sneaks upon me.”

Naruto rubbed his aching jaws after Sasuke's assault, and joined him on the forest track. His tone became wary. “How do you mean you had a feeling? Be more specific. What have you seen?”

Sasuke undecidedly shrugged, looked around, his gaze rested on a jogging woman who passed by them, paused a minute until she was running out of earshot, then replied with a troubled tone: “Nothing. Suddenly... it went too quiet.” He glanced back at Naruto. There was something in his look that Naruto had never seen before – a mixture of self-doubt and a longing to flee. “You think I'm paranoid?”

Naruto was so startled by Sasuke's tone and expression that he couldn't answer this question at once; then shoving his hands into his sweatpants pockets for posing more confident than he really was, he replied:

“I think I shouldn't have let you wander off the map and lost sight of you, that's what I think. My fault, okay?” then he checked his phone. “Shino didn't report anything so I suppose his drones haven't recorded anyone suspicious around. We should return to the parking lot.”

Sasuke just nodded. “Hn.”

Side by side they began to jog again, turning in the opposite direction now, running toward the area of the Harajuku park entrance parking lot, where Shino was waiting for them by the car. They ran together in a silent agreement for a minute, breathing controlled in sync, then the Uchiha side-glanced at Naruto's profile and made a remark:

“You've been clomping through the woods as loud as a boar.”

“Oh, that. Sorry for worrying about you.” Naruto was panting. “So much for the rescued prince, right? But hey, what do I care? Not that I have any other particular reason than you pay me for looking after your...” and he bit off his words.

“...ass?” Sasuke finished the sentence tauntingly with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah. It sucks when one is the type that gets nothing for free. Not even trust.” and he side-glanced at Sasuke's profile. “Or smaller favors like looking after your ass.”

“I have no problems to find volunteers here and there.” Sasuke said with a smug and ambiguous tone.

“Ah, you don't say. Then what the hell am I doing here?”

Sasuke's tone still remained ambiguous. “It's you who should know what you seek. One day when you realize it, do me the honor to share with me.”

* * *

_Streetfront shops - Shibuya, Tokyo_

A pack neatly covered by fine brown shop paper, containing the best kind of paints and other stationary, was carried under Sai's arm when he walked out of his favorite stationary store in Shibuya. He immediately wanted to move on, he already lifted a hand to put the ear piece of his audio player into his ear when he noticed the car parking in front of the store, on the other side of the sloping street.

Not that the car was anything special – it was a usual silky-smooth black Lexus sedan that any businessman could own; but two, immensely forthcoming-looking men guarded the car very formally, wearing the sharpest suits and dress shirts.

Sai carelessly mashed the ear pieces back to his pocket, and returned the two men's gaze. As if he noticed a most pleasing and cute sight, Sai started to smile, sweet and polite, as he crossed the street with his package under his arm, other hand still tucked into his pants pocket.

When he stopped by the car, one of the goons accommodatingly opened the door for him to see Shimura Danzou sitting in the back, clean-shaven and neat as if just arrived from a barber's salon, with a tiny yellow flame of a silk necktie over his dark business suit.

Sai slightly leaned forward as he peeked into the car. He smiled like being the mask of perfect courtesy.

“I hope you don't mind me bothering you again, Sai. If you have some spare time to join me now, that is. I decided maybe it was high time to hear something about our favorite two brothers from you.”

Sai without a moment of hesitation got into the car taking the seat next to Danzou, and the bodyguard closed the door behind him.

 


End file.
